Classic South Africa & Mauritius: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kruger Safari & Mauritius - 16 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town (South Africa), Half-Day City Tour

Welcome to South Africa's legislative capital, Cape Town! Meet your driver outside the airport and transfer to your hotel to refresh before heading out on a four-hour tour of the city. Explore Cape Town's different eras and learn about the country's history, as well as the people who shaped it. Start at the Company's Garden, which was previously farmland dating back to the 17th century, that's been turned into a beloved park, offering a respite from the urban bustle. Around the corner is the Iziko Slave Lodge, a national history museum dedicated to exploring the history of slavery in the region. 

Nearby sits the historic Green Market Square, which has served as a slave market, vegetable market, and center for political protests under Apartheid. These days, it hosts a flea market with African souvenirs and crafts for sale. Your next stop is the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa's oldest existing Dutch East India colonial building. On the way, you'll pass by several memorials and monuments, including the We Are Still Here Street Memorial, dedicated to destitute children, and the District Six Museum, which commemorates forced relocation under Apartheid. 

After visiting some of the city's landmarks, stop for lunch in the downtown core. In the afternoon, give your legs a rest with a hop-on-hop-off tour aboard the distinctive red open-top bus. Start at the Cape Town City Center Terminal, then take the bus to Table Mountain. From the bus stop, continue to the summit on a cable car for spectacular views of the city, mountains, and ocean. Take the cable car back down the mountain in time for dinner at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where you'll find a variety of fine dining restaurants and pubs with views of the ocean.

Day 2: Wine Tour in the Cape Winelands

Start the morning with a pickup from a local guide for a laid-back, full-day wine tour through the Cape Winelands. From the minute you step out the door, your experience will be perfectly curated, so you don't have to worry about a thing—besides sipping wine. The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, which extends from the Kogelberg Reserve in the south along the Cape Fold Mountain Chain to the north, is an internationally recognized area within the Cape Floristic Region. 

Spend the day exploring the rolling hills of the Winelands, visiting wineries in the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, or Elgin wine regions. At each vineyard you visit, eat mouthwatering foods and drink some of the best wines South Africa has to offer, from a variety of whites and reds as well as each estate's own blends and styles. Enjoy the scenery and the beautiful vineyards and white-gabled farmsteads that dot the landscape, then return to Cape Town in time for dinner. 

Day 3: Road Trip Along the Atlantic Seaboard & Cape Peninsula

Hit the road with your guide for a full-day road trip along the Cape Peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the southwestern extremity of Africa. At the southern end of the peninsula is Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end is Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town. The southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula has outstanding flora and fauna and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Cape Floristic Region. Leave Cape Town early in the morning, passing Cape Town University as you make your way to the coastal suburb of Noordhoek.

Stop here for a coffee break and some photos, then visit the Cape Point Nature Reserve, where you'll visit the Cape of Good Hope and its iconic lighthouse. Continue to Simon's Town to see the penguin colony nearby on Boulder's Beach before breaking for lunch at a local seafood restaurant along the water in the sleepy fishing town. Back in the car, your driver will follow Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the scenic roads along the Atlantic Seaboard. Pass by the beaches of Llandudno and Camps Bay, then stop at the iconic Maidens Cove for a quick dip in the water to end the full-day tour.

Day 4: Guided Tour of a Cape Town Township & Robben Island 

Wake up early for a full day of sightseeing, starting at one of Cape Town's iconic townships to get to know the local history and meet with its residents. Visit with key community leaders to discuss history, culture, and politics, as well as current and future socio-economic challenges facing the township. On Sunday mornings, the tour includes a stop at a local church, where you can join the congregation in a joyful celebration of community and faith. After lunch, catch a ferry across the water to the UNESCO-listed Robben Island, located 4.3 miles (6.9 km) offshore.

Meet your guide, a former inmate of the island's prison for criminals and anti-Apartheid political prisoners. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black president and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, was imprisoned here for 18 years of his 27-year term for his anti-Apartheid activism. On the tour, stop at his cell before exploring more of the island. Bird-watching enthusiasts will enjoy a walk along the rugged coastline, as the island is a safe haven for about 132 species of birds, such as crowned cormorants and black-crowned night herons. After the tour, return to the mainland in time for dinner. 

Day 5: Guided Food & Culture Tour of Bo-Kaap & Woodstock

You might want to skip breakfast this morning, as today, you learn more about the city's incredibly diverse cultures through an international medium—food. A lot of the food in the country is sourced fresh, so the tastings will depend on the time of year and season. You'll also learn about one of South Africa's many ethnic groups, the Cape Malays, originally brought here from Dutch colonies as enslaved people, political prisoners, or exiles. Start your guided tour with a walk through the Company's Gardens to sample rooibos tea and rusks, an Afrikaner biscuit.

Continue to the Earth Fair Market to sample local treats from a variety of vendors, then head to Bo-Kaap, the colorful Cape Malay district, for a traditional lunch. Stop in and visit Atlas Trading Company, a family-owned spice shop that's been in operation since 1946. From here, take the city bus to the trendy suburb of Woodstock to sample craft beer and locally-produced gin. Then, round out the day with a visit to an artisanal chocolate factory. Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon or enjoy a free evening in the city center.

Day 6: Fly to Johannesburg, Walking Tour of the Maboneng Precinct

Say goodbye to Cape Town this morning as you head to the airport for a two-hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. Check in to your accommodation in the city, then venture out on a walking tour of the Maboneng Precinct, a former industrial zone that's been transformed into a vibrant part of the city. Maboneng, a Sotho word for 'Place of Light,' is a fitting name for a neighborhood that has quickly become a center for creative urban artists. Visit art galleries and historical museums, then head to the 50-story Carlton Center for a bird's-eye view of the city. 

For dinner, make your way to the Chiefs Boma Restaurant for an interactive culinary experience that spans the African continent. Enjoy cocktails or craft beer on the deck overlooking the Boma Dam, then meander through the herb garden before sitting down to enjoy your meal to the music of a marimba band. With over 120 options, ranging from North African dishes to a "Big Five Game Kebab" made from five kinds of antelope, you're sure to find something to suit your tastes. After dinner, enjoy a glass of wine and roasted marshmallows over a cozy fire.

Day 7: Guided Tour of the Soweto Township, Traditional Dinner

Learn more about the Apartheid era and subsequent uprisings this morning in the eastern township of Soweto, where you can explore by bicycle, tuk-tuk, or foot with your local guide. The neighborhood was once a segregated area for the city's Black population, igniting uprisings, with the most notable one occurring in 1976, when tens of thousands of black students took to the streets to protest the rule that Afrikaans should be the official language for schools in the area. Several hundred students were killed during the uprising, including 12-year-old Hector Pieterson.

The Hector Pieterson Memorial commemorates his and all the students' bravery. After stopping by the memorial, enjoy a quiet stroll down Vilazaki Street to see the former homes of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, then visit the Nelson Mandela Museum. In the evening, experience firsthand accounts of Soweto's history from the township's residents. Listen to stories of freedom fighters, students from the 1976 uprising, and other key historical figures. Enjoy live art performances and music as you feast on a traditional African dinner under the starry night sky.

Day 8: Fly to the Kruger National Park Reserve, Night Game Drive

Leave the city behind this morning as you set off on a one-hour flight or five-hour transfer (depending on your preference) to the Kruger National Park Reserve, one of South Africa's most remarkable safari destinations. After arriving at the lodge, take some time to freshen up and relax. Have a drink at the bar to unwind, go for a swim, or a stroll to stretch your legs after the day's travel. In the evening, board an open safari vehicle for your first game drive in the park. The three-hour drive is a thrilling and exciting opportunity to see South Africa's wildlife up close.

You may see the Big Five, which includes elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, and leopards, so keep your eyes peeled. When darkness falls, the tour guides use spotlights to scan the landscape for the glowing eyes of nocturnal animals, like the spotted hyena or African civet. Dinner is a bush braai—a South African take on a barbecue in the middle of the reserve. Mouthwatering meats are sizzled to perfection atop an open wood fire—the perfect ending to a long day. After dinner, continue the game drive before returning to your lodge for the night.

Day 9: Sunrise Bush Walk, Afternoon Game Drive

Get an early start this morning for a drive to a remote location along the Olifants River, where you can set off on a four-hour sunrise bush walk. Surges of adrenaline will come aplenty as you spot wild African animals, but your adequately armed ranger will ensure your complete safety. Follow the area's Big Five on foot as you learn about the African bush and observe animals in their natural habitat. Don't forget to look up, as the reserve is home to an array of birdlife, from colorful lilac-breasted rollers to majestic martial eagles.

Make sure you wear comfortable shoes or boots and clothing that can protect your skin from the brush, and don't leave your camera and binoculars at the lodge for this one—there's plenty to see as you follow the river's edge. Return to the lodge for brunch, then spend a few hours resting and catching up on sleep after your early rise. When the air starts to get cooler in the afternoon, head out on another game drive. While your guides expertly navigate the rugged terrain, watch the sunset over the vast savanna, looking for the silhouette of wildlife against the horizon. Return to your lodge for dinner and a relaxing evening.

Day 10: Full Day in Kruger National Park

Spend another day exploring more of the park in an open-sided game vehicle, which allows for excellent wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities, so keep your camera on hand. Scores of giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, lions, hyenas, and countless other animals call the park home, so you have plenty of opportunities to see amazing wildlife in their natural habitat. Over 300 Stone Age archaeological sites have been located in the area, which you can visit as well to see plenty of evidence of the San and Iron Age people from 1,500 years ago, with San art found throughout the entire park. 

Day 11: Transfer to Johannesburg via the Blyde River Canyon 

Enjoy a pre-breakfast sunrise bush walk, then check out of your lodge and hit the road for your five-hour journey back to Johannesburg. On the way, stop at the Blyde River Canyon, one of the world's largest canyons and home to a wide variety of lush subtropical plants. Stand at the canyon's edge and enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding cliffs, rugged rock formations, and tranquil Blyde River. Back in the car, make another stop at the Three Rondavels Viewpoint to see the three rock formations that resemble traditional African round huts. 

After taking in the sweeping views, keep driving to Johannesburg, arriving around 5:00 pm. Spend the night relaxing at your hotel, or head out to 7th Street in the vibrant suburb of Melville to eat at one of the trendy cafés, bistros, or restaurants lining the road. Unwind after the long drive with a cocktail or beer at one of the nearby bars before returning to your hotel to rest. 

Day 13: Luxury Speed Boat to Ile aux Cerfs 

After breakfast, head out for a full day on the water. Take a speed boat to the privately-owned Île aux Cerfs, which means Deer Island in English, a paradise of lush vegetation and white sand beaches. Spend the day snorkeling in the crystal blue waters, exploring the Trou d'Eau Douce lagoon, visiting Grand River South East Waterfalls, and relaxing on the beach. For lunch, stop at the exclusive Ilot Mangenie, a small resort island, for a delicious local barbecue and refreshing drinks. After the meal, enjoy a guitar and jambé show before returning to the mainland. 

Day 15: Full-Day Tour of Chamarel on the West Coast

Today's adventure takes you to the west coast of the island to visit the small village of Chamarel. Start your full-day tour of the area with a visit to the Ebony Forest, a small rehabilitated preserve that features thousands of planted endemic species—most notably the ebony tree, which the Dutch and British harvested for export. The preserve offers walkways and short tours that educate visitors on the flora and fauna of the western coast. Cool off with a dip in the shallow waters at the base of the thundering Chamarel Waterfall, then make your way to the Seven-Colored Earth Geopark.

These striking dunes rise from the lush forest and are renowned for their vibrant colors, which formed as a result of uneven cooling of the lava rock. As the colorful sand settles on the dunes, it creates surreal patterns that you can view from an elevated wooden walkway. Choose between lunch at Varangue sur Morne or Rhumerie de Chamarel. After lunch, get a behind-the-scenes look at Mauritius' rum-making process at Rhumerie de Chamarel's distillery, then end your day with a visit to the Curious Corner of Chamarel, a fun gallery featuring dozens of interactive optical illusions.